230 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Probably a very large percentage of Americans 

 would vote for the Crow, in any contest in- 

 tended to decide which is the best known bird in 

 America. And probably a large percentage of 

 the persons so voting would mistake a Fish Crow 

 for a Common Crow. For if any such should 

 be observing enough to notice the difference in 

 size between the two birds, he would be likely to 

 account for that disparity by concluding that the 

 Fish Crow was a " small " Crow. However, it 

 is apparent that the Crow is one of the best 

 known of our birds. And to the average farmer, 

 he is likely to be one of the least favorably 

 known. 



Photo by Rollin F. Cass Courtesy of Outing Pub. Co. 



YOUNG CROWS 



The Crow unquestionably is a remarkably 

 clever bird. This is clearly demonstrated in 

 many ways by his conduct in his natural state, 

 and has been borne out in the cases of many 

 hundreds of tamed Crows, who have furnished 

 endless amusement for their owners. Apparently 

 such birds always display a thieving' propensity, 

 amounting to what would be considered klepto- 

 mania in human beings. They seem to have an 

 especial passion for stealing and hiding any 

 object of a bright color, like a spool of red or 

 blue thread ; or any highly polished metal article, 

 like scissors or thimbles. It is an interesting fact 

 that other members of the same family (notably 

 the Magpies and the Jays) evince plainly the 

 same characteristic. 



Farmers who try to keep the Crows away from 

 their newly planted corn see plenty of proof of 

 their astuteness. It seems clear that such ma- 

 rauders are sometimes guarded by a sentinel, 

 who gives ample warning of the approach of 

 danger. Other birds, as well as various mam- 

 mals (for example, the American and certain 

 African antelopes), apparently take similar pre- 



cautions; but always such an act, if it is 

 intentional, must denote a very high degree of 

 intelligence. Yet we must beware of stultifying 

 ourselves as observers of animal life of any kind, 

 by recording " observations " like the following, 

 which Mr. Burroughs quotes: 



" A man sees a flock of Crows in a tree in a 

 state of commotion ; now they all caw, then only 

 one master voice is heard : presently two or three 

 Crows fall upon one of their number and fell 

 him to the ground. The spectator examines the 

 victim and finds him dead, with his eyes pecked 

 out. He interprets what he has seen as a court 

 of justice ; the Crows were trying a criminal, and 

 having found him guilty, they proceed to execute 

 him. The curious instinct which often prompts 

 animals to fall upon and destroy a member of 

 the flock that is sick or hurt, or blind, is difficult 

 of explanation, but we may be quite sure that, 

 whatever the reason is, the act is not the outcome 

 of a judicial proceeding in which judge, jury, 

 and executioner all play their proper part." 



Portia probably wasn't aware, when she said 

 to Nerissa 



The Crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark 

 When neither is attended, 



that she was stating — with some exaggeration, 

 of course — a fact in American ornithology. 

 Indeed, probably few Americans know that the 

 Crow can sing at all. Yet it is a fact that the 

 bird has a musical little warb'.e which he utters 

 when he thinks he is not " attended." 



In a dense forest in Michigan, an observer 

 managed to skulk through the underbrush to 

 within about twenty-five yards of the base of a 

 group of tall spruce trees, in the topmost 

 branches of which a little party of Crows warbled 

 at intervals of a minute or two, for ten or fif- 

 teen minutes. That more than one singer was 

 involved seemed certain, but the listener could 

 not determine how many, because the Crows were 

 only dimly discernible through the thick foliage. 

 But it was evident that this was the Crow's 

 " song " ; and that the birds did not know they 

 were " attended " was made apparent by the tre- 

 mendous outcry of protest and abuse which they 

 raised when one of them discovered the audience. 



Of the Crow's characteristic note, we have a 

 poetic and eloquent appreciation from James 

 Russell Lowell, when he says : " Yet there are 

 few things more melodious than his caw of a 

 clear winter morning as it drops to you filtered 

 through five hundred fathoms of crisp blue air." 



Geokge Gladden. 



